Broad Run High School student remembered by teammates after dying suddenly from mysterious illness

A Loudoun County teenager who died mysteriously this week is being remembered all over social media and by her softball teammates.

Friends of 18-year-old Madison Small say she made an impact on the world that will last for hundreds of years.

"Sweet Caroline" is a song the varsity softball team at Broad Run High School sings every time they grab a win. But this week, the music paused for a moment to remember a part of their heart they lost.

Small, their team captain, died suddenly Tuesday after telling her family she didn't feel well. She went to the hospital where her organs shutdown and ended the young girl's life. The exact cause of her death is still unknown.

"She was all business," said one of her teammates. "She also was funny and sassy. If we had our head down, she would come over and pick us up."

Now, her team is leading the way in keeping her spirit alive. They have started a social media campaign with the hashtag #WEplayfor24 that has now gone global.

The young ladies say their teammate was unlike anyone they ever met and believe they will never experience a spirit like Madison again.

Madison wore a pink bow in every game she played. Her teammates got her No. 24 embroidered on each of their jerseys and they will all wear a pink bow at their games.

But as they slowly move forward, they are hoping for some answers into how she died.

She was a girl they now thank for not only keeping a team together, but creating a lifelong bond for her remaining teammates.

Her team will be back on the field next Monday for their first game without their leader.